Thameside Radio Revisited

Sarah is off with a throat infection - so Bob is standing in for her.

There are some technical problems at the start of the show - I edited about 15 minutes out as there isn't much to hear. There is a Thameside Radio Valentines Day party at the Shepherd's Bush Village Hall next week. And the team tell us they will be broadcasting from a new studio that week as well.

Aidan Schulkes of Hammersmith wins the Paul James competition (did you know that Ready Salted was the most popular flavour of crisps in 1980). Bob interviews Sarah with a squeaky voice in her sick bed.

Dave has some recordings from the cutting room floors of various radio stations - including a Guinness advert which assures us that "not a lot of women like it". He also plays a a few tracks from the the new Eddie Grunt album. Well - bits of tracks to avoid the language!

There's a CB spot too - Dave sets up the Thameside Breakers club.

Two hours with Paul, Sarah and Dave. Paul is eating the Spangles that Thameside gave out as prizes.

Paul chipped his tooth at a party last night!

Eddie Grunt is in the Thameside Charts (do you remember him?)

There are some slick site changes with great Birdman Jingles - the first one is 30 minute in.

Dave Sarah has a report from the Chinese New Year. Dave has a CB section. He reads an article from City Limits (a competitor to Time Out) about Eric Gotts whose job it was to close down the pirates. There are also some more bloopers from other radio stations.

Dedications include: Les Keely, Mike of Chalfont, Mazzie, Aidan from Rent-a-rabble, Simon Marlborough from Chiswick, Brother Illiano Pertrowich, St Paul's School in Barnes, Wolfie in East Croydon, Mark Unwin, NESCOTASS at Espsom RAC club.

A two hour show from Thameside Radio 90.2 The first hour with Paul James and Sarah from Kew, the second with the Intrepid Birdman. Bob is clearly still away.

The opening by the massed Thameside Listeners was recorded at an Outside Broadcast in Hyde Park as far as I can rememeber.

Paul reviews "An American Werewolf in London" which was recently released. Sarah tells us that there is going to be a Valentines party on Feb 14th. There's a pretty neat transmitter change when Dave pulls a plug out. Reception was a bit rough after this though.

Listeners mentioned include Steve Scribbler. Eddie Grunt. Gary Bearnd. Les Keely. Andy from Hillingdon. Paul Deacon. Neal Stoddard (who won the competition). Radio Alpha (Mondays on 90.2 VHF). Gary Steele.

Paul James is standing in for Bob again in this two hour show. The first 30 minutes has techincal problems - all is resolved after the transmitter change in time to listen to Sarah reading out dedeications.

There's an interview with Tony Fletcher who runs the Jamming Records and Jamming fanzine.

Dave plays Henry at Rawlinsons End, tells us about heroic failures and plays some bloopers from other radio stations. The Intrepid Birdman Superquiz asks which record has been in the charts the longest (122 weeks).

Thameside Radio listeners mentioned include. Carnelia who has been on holiday in Goa where a meal costs 70p. Alan Murrel in Hackney.

Sarah interviews Rat Scabies fron The Damned at the beginning of this Interpid Birdman Show. Dave tells us that there is a new voice on Thameside Radio: While Bob Edwards is away Paul James (ex Radio Floss) presents the first hour. Dave still has the second hour. Paul (see photo) became a regular Thameside presenter.

Following a mammoth New Year's eve broadcast Thameside Radio has decided to go down to two hour shows. Bob is going away to somewhere he describes as "a bit like Colditz" (true - see photo) for a couple of months. This week the first half hour has Dave running the show playing Bob's favourite songs - with chat from Bob. Something like Desert Island Disks.

Sarah then has a 30 minute show for dedications etc.

The second hour is a full Intrepid Birdman Show. Dave has even reintroduced the Superquiz. Next week there is an interview with Rat Scabies from The Damned.

This is a replacement for the pervious podcast which was linked to the wrong file.

The show after the 4th Birthday boat trip - which was the first ever pirate radio broadcast from the inshore waters on the Thames.

The Thameside Radio 90.2 Christmas party is next Sunday 27 December 1981 at the Shepherds Bush Community Hall. Were you there? There will also be an extended Thameside broadcast on New Year's Eve (which only just kept me awake as far as I can remember).

Bob Edwards plays records from the year for listeners to vote on for a chart on New Year's Eve. Many of them have definitely stood the test of time.

Sarah has a spot at 8pm. She reads a couple of the 10 letters that Mazzy wrote this week.

Dave Birdman tells us about the trip. It really was quite unreal being on a pirate ship in the snow on the Thames playing music - he had a driving test which was cancelled due to snow. Dave plays Christmas in Dredland by Judge Dredd and wishes he hadn't. Loads of new sketches too.

There are some snippets from the boat trip - including Mothball being given the bumps for his birthday.

There are a number of transmitter changes. It takes up to an hour to track down a pirate transmitter so the regular changes kept the Home Office at bay. It does require a lot of technology and staff to do it though - especially without the benefit of mobile phones. Each site is temporary so the aerials have to be put up, the equipment connected, the show broadcast then it's disconnected, dismantled and moved on. Sundays were very busy for the Thameside crew. Busy for listeners too as they had to move their aerials around.

I have assorted recordings of most of Thameside Radio's 4th birthday almost ready to podcast but it's a bit of a jigsaw with some better than others. The end of the birthday show is sadly missing. Do you have the end of the broadcast somewhere?

Thameside Radio 90.2 listeners mentioned include Keith Murray from Pinner, Nower Hill High School, Andrew Simpson, John Graves, Clive Barwood, Jerry Sinclair, John Brennan, Doug McLane, Dave Booth, David Swift of West Ealing, Adam Raven.

First half of a 3 hour show.

Last week Tony Lloyd was cut off in his prime during a live broadcast from a listener's house (Julian and Vebecca in Meon Road Acton) where the crew ate spaghetti on air. That was the first of many shows from listeners' homes like Tatty's party a couple of months later.

This show has loads of musical jingles by Dave.

Elton John, B52s, The Motels, Supertramp, Queen .. what a varied musical selection.

Bob calls more listerers with the long running Thameside Radio mystery voice competition. Steve Petherick of Hayes doesn't win tbut thinks the authorties should return the transmitter they nicked. Later we hear from Ruth Leaper of Harrow who also also doesn't win. She has dedications for her brothers Adrian and Clive also cousins David and Jeremy. Ruth supports Chelsea who are in the Second Division!

Richard Jones of Hornchurch and Jim Stockwell contribute local news.

This show does illustrate that Thameside Radio 90.2 had a lot of listener involvement. No wonder there are so many recordings still around. (do you have one you could contribute?)

Bob tells us he is going to play part 2 of the Norman Normal saga and Tony Lloyd will have part 1 of the new LP of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

Thameside Radio 90.2 listeners mentioned include: Anthony Osterwell of Wembley Park. Richard Morgan from Bromley. Mr Henry at Latymer Upper School. Mark Bramley of Bromley. Jeff Eagles from the Walthamstow Swimmming Club. Chris Hall. Moat Mount School. Alex and Chris Child of Carshalton. Wilson's School in Wallington. Particia and Paddy Hickory. Richard Jones of Hornchurch. Tim Stockwell.

A 1 hour show from Bob Edwards with a totally over the top intro. Jingles at every opportunity. Music news from Tony Lloyd. This is the Thameside Radio 90.2 that Time Out had featured in its article on pirate radio stations on March 23rd (iss 466, price 35p). where it described Thameside Radio as "Very slick pop/rock with competitions. Highly regarded and consistent, this is the nearest we have to US-FM presentation. All over coverage. Usually from the west."

Bob has asked for funny shaped letters - one even came on a rotten banana another others on an elastic band, a record sleeve and some writtten on brushes. A listener requests some pirate radio themes - Bob plays the Radio Dublin theme, The Pirates Lullaby amongst others.

Although the Intrepid Birdman Show hasn't yet been introduced Dave has already released the Ron Nasty songs - This week Bob plays "Nobody Loves Me (just 'cause I eat worms)"

Thameside Radio 90.2 namechecks include Robert Dudley of Hampton Jeff Fatherin. Rob Allen of SW15. Tim Penache. Julies restaurant. Graham Sanders of Croydon. Barry Kemp from New Malden. Andy Segals of Walthamstow. Martin Greaves. Walthmstow swimming club. Davis Lewis of Uxbridge. Steve Holloway of SW16 for parachutists. PJ O'Connor of SW7. Richard Morgan of Bromley. Chris Miller. Geoff (Jeff) Barton. Bob phones Mark Hawkins who is listening in Brentwood. The superbeam really did get out a long way.

Bob Edwards remembers that it's The Intrepid Birdman's 30th Birthday and tells us that he is very old. It's also Sarah's 18th birthday on Wednesday. She thinks that that's quite old too. Bob gives Dave an amazing rare limited edition Thameside Radio mug (see photo). There were only 11 of these made.

There are buckets of letters coming in.

This week Mark is meeting listeners at Wembley Central tube, Barnes railway bridge and High Street Kensington Tube and selling tickets for the forthcoming boat trip.

Alex Wright tells us about the listeners social last Tuesday at the smallest pub in the UK (the Hole in the wall in Kings Cross) and that next weeks social event for Thameside Radio listeners is at "The Film Location" in Acton Vale. (A tiny cinema / restaurant / bar).

Last week's show was raided just before the end so the crew are back to transmitter changes. In the past Thameside Radio didn't talk about the problems of being a pirate station on the basis that if they behaved professionally the authorities would leave them alone - which worked for a while. But not any more. so 45 minutes in there's a very different Bob Edwards jingle and then there's a public information item about how transmitter changes work.

Sarah is reading letters after being off wit a cold. Mazzy tells us that she was playing cello in the Royal Albert Hall wearing a Thameside Radio sweatshirt - and peple knew what it was! But she was asked not to wear it for the evening performance. There is a complaint that there aren't enough letters from members of the Intrepid Birdman Appreciation Society. Loads of namechecks. Too many to write up. But John Carbon has a moving dedication for Ruth.

Mark interviews The Basils Balls Up Band at the Kings Head in Fulham who are still gigging now.

Dave has a funky new jingle to open the show. He is given the bumps on air by the crew. He has taken encouraging listeners to spread malicious rumours about Bob Edwards. Dave also has another transmitter change to contend with. These transmitter changes really frustrated the Home Office who had recently taken to trying to track down "Romeo Tango" (their secret code for Radio Thameside) most weekends as they had to catch a transmitter actually being used. As soon as it was swirtched off they couldn't do anthing about it.

Fortunately Dave has another track from the Portsmouth Symphonia album (probably the best band in the world - you really have to hear it - 151 minutes in). Sadly I seem to have mislaid my copy and I can't find it on the Internet. He also plays "Suspended Animation" for the Intrepid Birdman Appreciation Society and Nick Turner from the Inner City Unit. "Tainted Love" is remastered as "Tainted Shirt" advertising the Thameside Sweatshirts. Finally Ron Nasty offers relationship advice.